In this issue, we highlight the masculine
archetypes in tarot. Most decks traditionally show
roles or have titles that can be considered
gender-specific. This issue's tips have images
that are easily related to our collective
experience. Meanings and keywords for these
masculine archetypes are given that could be
relevant to your querent in a reading whether they
are male or female.

As readers, we are often seen as heroes to the
querent when our advice or direction places a
querent at ease or helps in resolving a dilemma.
This issue's Best Practices column offers
strategies for taking charge of cash flow in your
tarot consulting practice, which can make you a
hero to yourself.

The Summer Solstice is drawing near. It is the
high point of the year and a goof time for
refining, cultivating and manifesting one's
desires.

The sun, at it brightest this time of year, is an
important masculine symbol, as are fire and air.
Scientists are expecting intense solar storms that
can be unpredictable and aggressively cutting like
the King of Swords, our showcase card. The King of
Swords, whose elemental counterchange is Fire of
Air, remains surprisingly cool.

Guiding you along your tarot journey,

Ruth Ann, Wald & Gina

Tarot Tips is here to help you with the practical side

of your Tarot journey. In order to take the greatest

advantage of this newsletter, please send us your

questions regarding any aspect of your tarot study

or practice and we'll do our best to answer them

in an upcoming issue.

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with other Tarot Enthusiasts!

Tarot Tip

MASCULINE ARCHETYPES IN A READING

In tarot, masculine archetypes can help you
understand what may be influencing a querent's
behavior or may be key in explaining to them some
of the emotional aspects of a situation.

Grab your favorite deck or two and compare the
artist's take on these male archetypes:

King / Father:

The king is the embodiment of male greatness. He
is an established authority figure. The king is
noble and represents control or the loss of
control. His reasoning is balanced and his
generosity is great. He is virile and embraces his
entire realm.

The father can be depicted as God, a giant, an
emperor, the sun, the bull or a patriarch. The
father is a person whose wisdom, authority, and
self-sacrifice enhances the life of those he cares
about. He is a symbol of strength and discipline.

Magician:

The magician can sometimes embody self-potential.
This potential can be used in a positive or
negative way. The Magician can represent the
ability to change moods or attitudes.

Hermit:

The hermit is all about independence and learning
to find new levels of responsibility and
self-reliance. He represents discipline of the
mind and emotions. He can be a leader like Moses,
who led a whole people to a different way of life.

Knight:

The knight is noble, honorable, restrained, and
humble. He is in service to others or a cause. He
is not afraid to brave great dangers. He is loyal
to God and country, has a soft spot for beauty,
and protects the weak of his realm.

Pope / Teacher / Healer:

He is seen as mystical and spiritual in all these
forms. He can bring completeness, happiness and
relief to people who are suffering or confused. He
is a symbol of transcending. He is the authority
on religious and esoteric teachings.

Trickster /Fool / Harlequin:

Unpredictable and sometimes crazy, the trickster
has a way of finding humor in life. He is
self-absorbed, on the journey of his own
transformation, but until he reaches his
destination, he may be careless, foolish and
unconcerned for others.

Hanged Man / Martyr:

He can be seen as sacrificed or hanged. He is
giving and concerned for others, but he can also
feel used by them. He sometimes takes on more than
he can handle just to feel appreciated.

Lover / Spouse / Husband:

Giving, caring and nurturing. He is a mate, suitor
or love interest. He represents emotional longing
and satisfaction. He is our connection to others.
He speaks to our secret desires, jealousy and
insecurities.

Devil / Outcast:

He is alienated or abandoned. He is blamed for all
wrongs. He is different from us and makes us
uncomfortable. He is a shadow, demon and tyrant.
He does not live within the accepted norms of
social behavior. His actions and motives are scary
and unacceptable.

Tarot Card Showcase

In this section we will feature tidbits on a
specific tarot card. While there are many
systems and decks to choose from in the world
of tarot, here we use the Universal Waite
Tarot images and symbols.

Copyright 1992 U.S Games.

KING OF SWORDS

Esoteric Title: Lord of the Winds and Breezes.

King of the Spirit of Air. King of the Sylphs.Astrological Attribution: Aquarius

Elemental Attribution: Fire of Air

The King of Swords is a wise and cool ruler.

When he makes a decision to cut off heads, it is

nothing personal. He is unemotional when it comes
to judgments and following the law.

The King of Swords is the elemental lord of the
winds and breezes. He commands the tiny silvery
sylphs with his whirling voice that sounds of
gusting winds. When this card appears in a spread,
it could signify dealings with an authority figure
such as a lawyer, doctor, agent or someone in
uniform, for example a policeman or soldier. The
King of Swords is quick-witted and loves a debate
or philosophical discussion.

Court Cards are the powers of their suits. The
secrets of a tarot court are the mysteries of its
world. In our upcoming series of teleclasses, we
will study the powers and secrets of the King of
Pentacles and the first mysteries of the World of
Manifestation.

Do you care? We hope so. Is it too much? We hope
not. If you are one of our regular students, we
want you to know that these classes will be
another step forward in the evolution of the
series. If you are new to the telecourse that we
call Tarot at the Edge of Experience, we can
promise you an adventure.

Either way, join us. This is tarot at the edge of
what we teach.

3 Thursdays: June 24, July 1 and 8
9-11 pm Eastern time
Tuition: $60 for the series

Many tarot entrepreneurs make the fundamental
error of thinking that by charging a lower rate
than their competitors, they will increase their
bottom line. This is incorrect. What usually
happens instead is that you just attract less
affluent customers.

Underpricing can be a real mistake. It can
negatively affect your cash flow like nothing
else. Feeling embarrassed or guilty about money
issues is also a big reason for charging too
little for what you do.

Of course, there are other factors that can affect
your cash flow. Just like the housing market,
there are economic trends in our business, too.
When making improvements to your business so that
you show greater gains, take into account lags in
the industry and slumps in the economy. Sometimes
there is a wave of prosperity, but training your
clients to pay you what you're worth is a wave you
can create on your own.

Bad money habits and negative thinking plague many
of us, especially those who are new in business or
have only a few clients. I still cringe when
asked, "How much do you charge for a reading?"
but I feel the fear and tell them anyway. More
often than not, they book the reading.

Julie Murphy Casserly, author of The Emotion
Behind Money: Building Wealth From the Inside Out,
says women in particular often undercharge because
they feel they aren't good enough, or they work
from other negative beliefs impressed on them by
their parents. I think that includes men, too.
I've seen my brother, a paint contractor for
over 30 years, really struggle to charge what he
is worth.

Here are some tips for increasing cash flow and
getting past pricing woes:

1. Increase Desirability. Add a little more to
what you offer without giving away the store.
Everyone likes personalized services, such as a
nice thank you card or email after their
appointment.

2. Offer Specials. The goal here is to create a
relationship with your client.

3. Don't Underestimate. Don't think you
know what your clients will or won't pay for.
They may have budgeted for exactly what you offer.
If your offer satisfies a need, they will spare no
expense!

4. Offer a Variety of Pricing Options.

Include a service for the budget client.

Consulting or counseling in any industry is tough,
and many feel undervalued. It's no secret that
if you advertise yourself as the best and charge a
high price, customers expect the best. Take charge
of your business and use strategies that bring you
what you want. Remember also that just because a
client isn't willing to pay a certain price
doesn't mean the price is wrong. In any given
care, there are factors other than price that can
affect a client's decision to work with you. The
idea is to take charge of your emotions and
thinking about what you have to offer and what you
are worth.

Questions arise when developing or transitioning
to professional Tarot Reading status to earn
income. These can range from "How can I make
money with Tarot?" and "How do I get started?"

to more complex technical and business questions.

You may already be up and running and have

questions about how to enhance or ramp up your

business. We would love to hear from you. Send any

questions, or interest in a future class on the

Business of Tarot, to tarot@tarotschool.com.

Do you want to learn more about tarot but don't
have time or the resources to attend a class?
The Tarot School Correspondence Course was
created just for you!

James Ricklef is a wonderful and prolific writer,
and his tarot blog is well- written and informative.

He is the author of the award-winning book,

Tarot Tells the Tale and the follow-up book,Tarot -- Get the Whole Story. He is also the
creator of the Tarot of the Masters deck. This
blog features articles, events, tarot reviews and
more. Very interesting and enjoyable!